The Gibson Girl was the iconic representation of feminine
beauty created by the illustrator Charles Dana Gibson (1867-1944).She “reigned” in the United States during a
20-year period between the late 19th Century and the early 20th
Century.Her image was published in
newspapers and magazines of the time and adorned many advertising and marketing
campaigns.She was the first “super
model.”

The
Gibson Girl was tall and slender with the hourglass figure popular during
that time.In addition to her refined
beauty, in spirit she was calm, independent and confident, and she sought
personal fulfillment.There’s no
question she was surrounded by an aura – she was self-confident to the point of
being somewhat remote and aloof but never haughty.Gibson illustrated her as being so
captivating that men would follow her anywhere, attempting to fulfill any
desire.Men wanted to possess her and
women wanted to be her.Many models
posed for Gibson Girl-style illustrations, including Gibson's wife, Irene
Langhorne, who may have been the original model, and her sister, the infamous
Evelyn Nesbit.Stage actress Camille
Clifford was probably the most famous Gibson Girl, for her looks and style
personified Gibson’s iconic images.

World War I saw a
waning of the popularity of The Gibson Girl; the elegant fashions and long
skirts worn by her in Charles Dana Gibson’s illustrations were replaced by
practical clothes that were more compatible for women in a country immersed in
a world war.However, during World War
II radio transmitters carried by plans in over-the-water operations were called
“Gibson Girl” because of their hourglass shape.